Assessing the role of east African legislative assembly in managing conflicts in the east African sub-region: 2001 - 2008
Abstract
Efforts at achieving integration in East Africa have a long history. Formal economic and
social integration have been traced to, inter alia, the commencement of the construction
of the Kenya-Uganda Railway (1897-1901), the establishment of the Customs Collection
Centre (1900), the East African Currency Board (1905), the Postal Union (1905), the
Court of Appeal for Eastern Africa (1909), the Customs Union (1919), the East African
Governors Conference (1926), the East African Income Tax Board (1940) and the Joint
Economic Council (1940).1 This paper outlines the development of the East African
Community, from declaration of intent in 1963, establishment in 1967 and eventual
collapse in 1977 and subsequent efforts at resuscitating the organisation culminating in
the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community which was signed on
30th November, 1999. The paper examines progress made and posits that lack of a clearly
defined conflict management mechanism within the Community poses a threat to the
achievement of integration and the eventual goal of political federation. The paper asserts
that looking at the conceptual and institutional basis of legislatures around the world, the
East African Legislative Assembly has a pivotal foJeJ~ play in managing conflicts which
is not recognized not only by policy-makers but also by the members of the Assembly
themselves. The paper notes that the Assembly, in recognition of that role, established a
Committee on Regional Affairs and Conflict Resolution. This was to compliment other
legislative mechanisms such as legislation, representation and oversight, which, though
seen as important processes in a democratic system, and particularly in the exercise of the
principle of separation of powers, this paper argues that they have an inherent conflict
management component. The essay assesses how these mechanisms have been utilised in
managing conflicts in the sub-region and their viability and concludes that conflicts have
been and will continue to be a phenomena in the sub-region which will consequently pose
serious risks to the goal of economic and political integration. Mechanisms must
therefore be clearly defined, developed and strengthened to manage conflicts which are
part and parcel of human existence.
Publisher
UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI
Collections
- Final [891]